Congress MLA, Panaji Mayor among 3 booked for molesting woman
Panaji: Newly-elected Panaji MLA Atanasio Monserratte of the Congress and city Mayor Uday Madkaikar are among three persons booked by the police for allegedly molesting a woman during an anti-encroachment drive, police said on Saturday.
The Corporation of City of Panaji (CCP) has undertaken a drive to clear encroachments of off-shore casinos anchored in the river Mandovi.
One of the off-shore casinos had allegedly encroached on a footpath and workers of the civic body had gone to the spot Friday to clear it. Monserratte, Madkaikar and former Panaji Mayor Yatin Parekh were accompanying them.
The complainant woman, who was part of the group which opposed the demolition of a staircase constructed by the off- shore casino operator, alleged that Monserratte, Madkaikar and Parekh touched her inappropriately, abused her and outraged her modesty, police said.
"In her complaint lodged late last night, the woman also alleged that all the accused threatened to kill her," Panaji police sub inspector Arun Abhay Gawas Desai said.
Based on her complaint, the trio was booked under IPC sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt),354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), for outraging modesty), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman), police said.
When contacted, Monserratte claimed that no such incident has happened. He said that he was present at the site only to oversee the demolition work being conducted by the civic body.
"None of the persons named in the complaint were involved in any such action of outraging modesty," he said.
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Trump says EU has until July 4 to approve last year's trade deal or it will face higher tariffs
Washington (AP): President Donald Trump has said in a social media post that goods from the European Union would face higher tariff rates if the 27-member bloc fails to approve last year's trade framework by July 4.
The announcement on Thursday appeared to be a deadline extension after the president said last Friday that EU autos would face a higher 25 per cent tariff starting this week. Trump made the updated announcement after what he described as a "great call" with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Still, the US president was displeased that the European Parliament had yet to finalize the trade arrangement reached last year, which was further complicated in February by the US Supreme Court ruling that Trump lacked the legal authority to declare an economic emergency to impose the initial tariffs used to pressure the EU into talks.
"A promise was made that the EU would deliver their side of the Deal and, as per Agreement, cut their Tariffs to ZERO!" Trump posted. "I agreed to give her until our Country's 250th Birthday or, unfortunately, their Tariffs would immediately jump to much higher levels."
It was unclear from the post whether Trump was implying that the tariff rates would jump on all EU goods or the increase would only apply to autos.
His latest statement indicates he might be backing away from his earlier threat on EU autos by giving the European Parliament several more weeks to approve the agreement.
Under the original terms of the framework, the US would charge a 15 per cent tax on most goods imported from the EU.
But since the Supreme Court ruling, the administration has levied a 10 per cent tariff while investigating trade imbalances and national security issues, aiming to put in new tariffs to make up for lost revenues.
